Grimsby Town 4 -1 Bromley

GRIMSBY Town made it two home wins out of two with a comfortable 4-1 success against newly-promoted Bromley at Blundell Park.

The Mariners made a flying start to the game and effectively had the points won within six minutes, as Padraig Amond’s opener was added to by an Omar Bogle penalty.

Amond was on-target again to stretch the lead further, before the visitors pulled a goal back through Callum Davis five minutes before half-time.

Bromley had some promising moments after the break but never seriously threatened a comeback and Town grabbed a fourth goal in the closing stages through Craig Clay.

Manager Paul Hurst named the same Grimsby line-up as he did for Tuesday’s home win over Barrow, meaning Shaun Pearson again had to be content with a place among the substitutes.

James McKeown started in goal, with Richard Tait, Aristote Nsiala, Josh Gowling and Danny East forming the defence.

Nathan Arnold, Craig Disley, Clay and Andy Monkhouse were the midfielders, with Bogle and Amond starting in attack.

The bench was also unchanged, with Pearson joined by Gregor Robertson, Jack Mackreth, Harry Clifton and Josh Venney.

Bromley arrived in Cleethorpes looking for their second notable scalp of the season, having beaten Wrexham in their opening game last Saturday.

Their main threats were likely to be former Millwall and Scunthorpe striker Ben May and manager’s son Bradley Goldberg, who lined up alongside May in attack.

Town started the game looking to keep possession and patiently build up attacks and it immediately paid off, as they were ahead within three minutes.

Monkhouse and Arnold linked up on the left and after the latter slid the ball through for AMOND, he slotted a cool finish past Alan Julian in the Bromley goal.

And three minutes later, the Mariners were given the chance to double their lead when Bogle turned inside defender Jack Holland before going down under his challenge. Referee Richard Wigglesworth pointed to the penalty spot and BOGLE stepped up to confidently dispatch it past Julian for 2-0.

Bogle won a corner on nine minutes as Town’s fast start to the game continued but Arnold’s delivery was headed over the top by Amond.

Bromley had not had chance to get themselves into the game but they were given an opportunity with a free kick 25 yards from goal on 11 minutes. Goldberg shot from it but his attempt was comfortable for McKeown, who caught the ball.

Another home attack came when a ball forward from Nsiala was headed on by Monkhouse for East. The left-back kept the ball in and crossed for Amond but he could only head wide.

At the other end, a long thrown by Bromley’s Emmanuel Udoje was headed out for a corner by Gowling and the flag-kick led to McKeown having to push a shot by Goldberg out for another corner. This time, Monkhouse headed clear.

Arnold tried a speculative first-time shot from 30 yards after a loose ball fell for him but he could not keep his effort down and the ball landed in the Osmond Stand.

Town were given a corner when a chip into the box appeared to have come off Bogle on its way out of play. But the Mariners made the most of the decision going in their favour as Arnold’s flag-kick was headed back across goal by Gowling and AMOND was there to divert it into the net for 3-0.

Goldberg was fouled by East to give Bromley a rare attacking opportunity on the half-hour but they could not take advantage, as Joe Anderson’s free kick went straight into the Grimsby wall.

Bromley’s Anthony Cook was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Bogle two minutes later. Arnold’s free kick from near the halfway line was well claimed by keeper Julian.

As the scoreline suggested, the hosts were well on top, with Bromley struggling to put any pressure on the Grimsby defence.

Town were looking for a fourth goal before half-time and a chance to get it came when Arnold went clear down the right but he put the ball out for a goal kick when attempting to lift it over Julian instead of taking a touch and squaring for Bogle.

Bromley had created next to nothing but they grabbed a lifeline when they pulled a goal back on 40 minutes. A cross from the left was met by DAVIS, who steered a header beyond McKeown and into the far corner of the net.

The Mariners could have restored their three-goal advantage when Bogle did well to get onto a through-ball from Disley and race into the box. The striker raced into the box but was thwarted by Julian as he looked to go for goal, rather than square it for strike-partner Amond, who would have had a tap-in.

Bogle did opt to play the ball to Amond from Town’s next attack though, although the Irishman could not get enough power on his shot to trouble Julian.

Two added minutes were played at the end of the half and another chance for the home side came in the first of them. The two strikers linked up well again, as Bogle’s touch gave Amond the opportunity to shoot from the edge of the box but his effort went over the bar.

That proved to be the last chance of the half, meaning the Mariners took their 3-1 lead into the interval.

Louis Dennis replaced goalscorer Davis for the away side before the restart but Town started on the front foot, again looking to patiently build up attacks.

Bogle and Clay combined for Monkhouse to find East on the Grimsby left on 50 minutes but his cross was caught by Julian.

Bromley had made a more promising start to the half after getting their goal in the closing stages of the opening period and Goldberg hit a shot that deflected through to McKeown as they aimed to haul themselves further back into the game.

At the other end, Monkhouse was beaten to the ball by Emmanuel Udoje, who headed it out for a corner. The ball from the flag eventually led to Nsiala sending a low cross in from the right but after Julian parried it, nobody in black and white could convert the chance.

Tait had to concede a corner when substitute Dennis sent the ball into the Town box but Cook’s delivery was comfortably headed clear by Monkhouse.

A volley from Disley was blocked after Bromley struggled to clear a Town free kick, before Amond was penalised for a push as the hosts attacked again soon afterwards.

East saw a shot blocked after Arnold had played the ball short to him from a free kick to the left of the Bromley penalty area on the hour, before a header from Bogle went wide soon afterwards.

Max Porter and Pierre Joseph-Dubois came on for Reece Prestedge and May for the visitors, who had not built on their promising start to the half.

Arnold shot wide from the edge of the box on 64 minutes, before Gowling had to clear the ball after it been headed across the Town penalty area at the other end two minutes later.

Bromley were give a free kick in an attacking area soon afterwards but Gowling was first to it and the Mariners got the ball clear.

A cross from East on the left was headed out for a Town corner but the hosts were unable to turn it into a goalscoring opportunity.

Amond was adjudged to be offside after running onto a long pass forward by Gowling, a decision which led to Town assistant manager Chris Doig being spoken to by the referee for his protests.

Mackreth replaced Monkhouse for the Mariners with 10 minutes remaining and the home side still in charge of the game.

Cook won a corner for Bromley but they could not capitalise on the opportunity from the flag, as the short delivery was cleared.

Mackreth was booked for a foul but the resulting free kick was cleared by Gowling and Town broke, with Mackreth eventually crossing from the right but seeing the ball caught by Julian.

Tait was also yellow-carded for a similar foul soon afterwards, before the Mariners stretched their lead further with a fourth goal. Bogle’s through-ball found Mackreth and he played the ball on for CLAY to finish at the far post.

Pearson replaced Amond as the game moved into added time and the remainder was comfortably seen out by the Mariners, as they registered their second 4-1 victory of the week.